It's that time of the month again - Google has released a brand new version of Chrome for Android. We're now up to version 63, which brings a few useful improvements and further changes to the in-development 'Chrome Home' interface.

There are a few new flags in Chrome 63, which indicate Google is putting the finishing touches on Chrome Home. One new flag, 'Chrome Home Promo' (#enable-chrome-home-promo), adds an item to the overflow menu titled 'You're using the new Chrome.' Tapping on it opens a popup explaining the new interface, with a switch to disable it entirely.

Another flag called 'Chrome Opt-out Snackbar' (#enable-chrome-home-opt-out-snackbar) is exactly what it sounds like. If someone chooses to disable the Chrome Home UI with the above-mentioned switch, this flag will ask users to take a survey. I'm sure most of the responses will be, "why is everything white now?" and "why did my address bar move?"

Presumably, both of these flags will be enabled whenever Google decides to start rolling out Chrome Home to everyone. There's still no telling when Google will pull the switch, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's soon.

New flags page

Chrome's flags page, located at chrome://flags, contains toggles for hundreds of features and experiments (including the above-mentioned Chrome Home UI). But the page itself has hardly changed since the browser was introduced, and it's especially tedious to navigate on mobile. Thankfully, there's a new design in Chrome 63.

We first covered the new layout when it reached Chrome Canary two months ago, and now it has arrived in the stable version. Everything is more spaced out, the tiny links are now large buttons, and there is finally a search bar.

'Minimal UI' for web apps

When you add a site or web app to your home screen, Chrome checks the site's manifest file to see how the web app wants to be shown. Until now, there have only been three options. The default option (also called 'browser') opens the web app in a new browser tab, 'standalone' opens the application with the status bar visible but no browser UI, and 'fullscreen' makes the web app full screen.

From left to right: Default UI, Standalone UI, Minimal UI

With Chrome 63, there is a new option that developers can use - 'Minimal UI.' On Chrome, this makes the web app look like a Chrome Custom Tab, and the web app can define the UI color. This is ideal for web apps that still want users to easily access the current URL, like blogs or news sites.

You can try a demo of the Minimal UI here. Just add that web app to your home screen to see it in action.

Other features

Like always, Chrome 63 includes changes for both users and developers. Here are some smaller features that ship with this update.

Auto-completion in the address bar has been improved.

Dynamic module imports and asynchronous generator functions in JavaScript are now supported.

On the desktop, it is now easier to view SSL certificates for websites.

Smart Text Selection should now work on Android 8.1.

APK Download

The APK is signed by Google and upgrades your existing app. The cryptographic signature guarantees that the file is safe to install and was not tampered with in any way. Rather than wait for Google to push this download to your devices, which can take days, download and install it just like any other APK.

If I wanted a lean, vast browser that is only useful for browsing Reddit and Tech Blogs, I'd use Edge.

Chrome is vastly more useful with Drive / Office / Keep integration. Soon there'll be SMS sync across Android and Chrome as well.

I can't fathom why anybody would want to remove that level of integration just so they can browse memes faster.

UniBroW

I guess what I mean is that Chrome should be a web browser first without trying to aggregate news articles that are “trending.”

Nothing like trying to avoid the news and opening Chrome and seeing yet another mass killing or political nonsense article. Not everyone wants to be reminded every waking moment. Plex did this garbage with the Android TV app too. It’s ridiculous

Stu

You can disable a flag and those articles disappear. That's what I had to do. Can't remember the exact same but it's clear when you come across it.

UniBroW

I have them bookmarked but I just stopped using Chrome because, unless I’m on my PC which is rarely these days, I’m on Safari most of the time

chrome://flags/#enable-ntp-popular-sites

chrome://flags/#enable-ntp-snippets

CasperTFG

Flags don't work for everybody. Trending articles reappeared after I told them to eat a dcik.

Zaptor99

This is when my dad calls and says: everything changed, i'm stuck, why do they have to change things all the time lol

Ben

Probably how most will react

UniBroW

When I got myself an iOS device I used to be adamant that I’d continue using Chrome and scoffed at the idea of using Safari and now I can’t imagine using Chrome. Safari is fast, has ad blocking and is t trying to force trending articles and other bloat in your face.

matteventu

Safari has ad blocking?

UniBroW

You can download, from the App Store, content blockers such as Adblock and you will see zero ads when you browse in safari

Tj Gienger

You can do this with any browser.

3ygy8w8a

No no. These are plugins specifically designed for Safari or Samsung browser. He is not talking about system wide ad blocking that drains battery and works by faking VPN.

I never found them to be battery drains but they don’t always work as they should. They, however, work amazing in Safari.

UniBroW

Exactly

ipsofact

lol adhell doesnt. You can obtain a developer key for free from samsung and it will use its native firewall to bock ads...

UniBroW

Sure, link me the app in the Playstore or show me how to disable ads in Chrome on Android? Oh, you can’t. You have to check unknown sources and use a local VPN workaround that doesn’t work nearly as well as it does in Safari.

EarlyMon

Or root, block sites in /etc/hosts the way God intended without a local VPN service and don't get ads in any browser on Android.

meh…

That's kind of how I felt when I noticed my S8+ has Samsung Internet... then I started using it daily.

CasperTFG

Can't take trending articles. I even searched method to stop them and they still reappear.

Google never rests being an anus.

UniBroW

Try these flags

chrome://flags/#enable-ntp-popular-sites

chrome://flags/#enable-ntp-snippets

Ben

Why Chrome has updated its flags page to Material design before the desktop bookmarks and extensions pages by default I will never know...

Troneas

meh. samsung internet still faster and not a resource hog. would love to use chrome to sync with my PC but its just plain awful compared to samsung internet. the more they add, the more i want to stick with other browsers.

meh…

I was pleasantly surprised by Samsung Internet when I started using it. Unless I find a page that doesn't quite look right, I stay away from Chrome.

Vinicius

The new flags UI is also live on desktop, great!

matteventu

So is it confirmed that with the new Chrome Home the (now bottom) address bar won't change colour based on the website (as it does if it's at the top)?

SpadeX

Yes which is a totally dumb move tbh. I was waiting for the final release to change this before making the switch, guess I'll stick with the top bar for now.

I actually love this feature very much. As my Twitter and Facebook feed are not even close to what Chrome Home offers. Since the release I'm visiting Twitter and Facebook much less

InsanityOnABun

Heads up, installing the linked apk on my Pixel 2 XL caused a ton of apps (Google search, Steam, I'm guessing apps that use webview) to constantly crash. Reboot did not help. Uninstalled updates to Chrome and reinstalled updates from Play store, all is back to normal. Guess I'm waiting for this one.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't know if there's any difference there. I have a few Android apps out on the Play Store and have never needed to worry about releasing 32-bit vs 64-bit versions. Although my apps are purely Java, maybe the NDK requires that? I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if Chrome ran native code at some level.

Jordan L

Yeah, same here. Holy cow... Don't install this until it's official or the correct build is uploaded. Constant crashes on Inbox and Gmail. 2 pretty important apps.

Mel Torme

Good call, came here to share the same.

InsanityOnABun

The 64-bit build fixes this.

yoyo ma

Like I posted elsewhere here, it completely ruined my phone today. So many critical apps stopped working and I couldn't figure it out. Re installed chrome and everything was fine again. Crazy.

blueman24

I don't like the new UI. Looks like some Cheetah mobile browser or similar. FF Quantum for android when

meh…

Great... I'll be sure to send feedback saying that it confused and alienated by 60 year old father, because I'm 99% sure it will, and I'll be the first person he calls.

Seriously though, why is everything all white again. I really miss the colors. At least give me a night option!

LouisCAD

Send feedback from the Chrome app after each update like "Still no dark/night mode". The engineers will see it, and maybe finally act for you ;)

David Hyman

Here's hoping! It's so odd they removed it because they made such a big deal about it changing colors!

Lars Jeppesen

overscroll-behavior can also be ised to custom override pull-to-refresh event. Very useful for single page applications.

Michael Sørensen

No thanks. I just need to see sites I visit and find information I search for. Stop trying to do it all for me.

Leeroy Jenkins

enabling this causes 90% of my apps to crash nonstop for some strange reason.

InsanityOnABun

This was an issue with installing the 32-bit version on a 64-bit device. The link has a 64-bit apk now.

Philana Danceforth

Does this mean I will once again have the benefit of videos playing in Facebook? >:(

Nana Adu-Krow

Not sure if this if it's related but downloading the APK Mirror for Chrome 63 caused my Google Newsstand to crash. The moment I touched the intro screen to scroll it would crash.
I have:
Pixel (2016)
Android Beta Program i.e., 8.1
Google Newsstand 4.7.0

I ended up having to uninstall and reinstall to Chrome 62 and it started working normally again. Not sure how Chrome affects the Newsstand app?

yoyo ma

A lot of random apps on my phone completely became unusable when I installed this apk. Microsoft Authenticator crashed, which made my outlook work email never work, I thought it was maybe microsoft related but nope, Relay also crashed. Basically both apps as soon as you open them say "Relay has stopped". Bunch of other random ones too. Could not figure it out for the life of me but then went back to Chrome 62 and everything was resolved.